Twenty Years
by eternalsailorsolarwind
Summary: Twenty years have passed, and Isshin reflects on how he ended up wearing one of Urahara's special gigai in the living world.


Twenty Years

By: eternalsailorsolarwind AKA youkai_girl

Disclaimer: _Bleach_ and all of its characters are owned by Tite Kubo, his Japanese publishers, and Viz. I only play with them for grins and giggles.

A/N: Written in response to both the conversation between Isshin and Urahara in the beginning of volume 21, after Isshin has destroyed Grand Fisher, and the Week 43 prompt at bleach_contest: playing God. A slightly different take on how Isshin actually left the Soul Society and how he ended up in Karakura.

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Looking into the mirror, Kurosaki Isshin stared into the face of the _gigai_ he wore. Had it really been so long since he'd first awoken in it? The calendar did not lie, however. Nor did Urahara's "special" _gigai_.

There were fine crow's feet at his eyes, and more deeply etched laugh lines around the generous mouth, not quite hidden by his beard. Just that morning, he'd plucked two silver hairs; his one vanity. Though still as strong as an ox, he couldn't deny it: the _gigai_ had definitely aged. Therefore, it really had been twenty years.

Rubbing his face, the bristle of his beard scratching at his palms, the former _taichou_ remembered back to the day that everything had changed.

All Soul Reapers had a fascination with the living world, no matter if they were born into Soul Society, or if they had died years before. Everyone always wanted to know what was new there. Unable to resist the lure of a trip to the living world, he'd given his _fukutaichou_ the slip so he could pay a visit to his old friend who'd been exiled decades earlier. Kisuke could always be counted on for a good time – and plenty of booze.

On his way to the store that Urahara now used as his livelihood, he ran into a small pack of Hollows. It had been good exercise, but an Adjuchas that had used the pack for bait surprised him. The last thing he'd seen before passing out from his injuries was Benihime's Blood Mist shield protecting him.

When he'd awakened ten days later, he was inside a _gigai_. It had been a surprising discovery, but then again, it had also been a long time since he'd been beaten so badly.

"Ah, Isshin, you're awake!" Kisuke had sounded so pleased to see him conscious.

It would take another six months to find out why Urahara had been so pleased that he'd survived the Adjuchas' attack. Six months in which one of his best friends had lied to him about the severity of his injuries. About why his _reiatsu_ was not recovering its usual strength, even inside a _gigai_. But by then, it was too late.

"What the _hell_ did you think you were doing?" Red-faced with anger, Isshin couldn't lower his tone below a bellow. He could probably be heard across town. "It's my life you just played God with."

Blue eyes shadowed by the brim of that ridiculous green-and-white striped hat that he'd taken to wearing in his exile, Urahara looked up at his friend looming over him before responding, "I didn't have any choice, Issin. You have to realize that."

"I don't have to realize any such thing, Kisuke. You never even bothered to ask me about this plan of yours, just lied to me for the six months it took to make sure it couldn't be undone."

The blond former captain nodded in agreement, "It was too risky. I couldn't pass up this chance to hide the _Hogyoku_."

Reining in his temper with visible effort, the dark-haired captain took a couple of deep breaths. To ease the manic energy running through him, Isshin began to pace the room. Sounding almost calm, he asked another question. "Why do you need to hide the _Hogyoku_? I thought you'd already put it away where no one could find it."

Flashing the taller man a relieved smile, the blond answered, "The Hollow presence is increasing here. It always does, eventually; they sense the Sphere on a subconscious level and go after it. It's why I've been something of a nomad for the past eighty-odd years."

"That still doesn't explain...."

The scientist continued as if he hadn't spoken, "It's organized this time, for one thing. They're actively searching, driven by the higher level Hollows. The Adjuchas that ambushed you was the second one in as many weeks. Too much of a coincidence for me."

Looking thoughtful as he digested this, Isshin said, "Then move on again. It wouldn't be the first time you've had to pick up and run one step ahead of your enemies."

A wry smile lit Kisuke's face. "I did, actually. Since they found me almost immediately, I decided to come back here; better to fight on known territory than strange. That's when I found you."

Returning to stand menacing over the still-smiling former captain, the dark-haired Soul Reaper snarled, "You mean all of this was just spur of the moment? There was no plan?"

Hiding his mouth behind an ornate fan, the shopkeeper's blue eyes looked slightly alarmed at the return of his friend's anger. "Of course not, Isshin! I've had the idea on how to hide the Breakdown Sphere for years. There was just never a chance to implement it until now.

"You may not like it, but you're the best possible choice for this task. I trust you, for one thing."

Dark eyes narrowing, the _taichou_ sat down next to the exile, "You think it's a captain after the _Hogyoku_."

Urahara nodded in agreement, "Even before I made my presentation regarding the Sphere – at a Captain's Meeting, I might add – I had begun noticing that the Hollows were changing. Not all of them, and the changes were hardly noticeable unless you'd made a study of them like I had. Someone was interfering with the natural evolution of Hollows."

Isshin gaped at him, causing the scientist to chuckle darkly before continuing. "Whomever it was, they were trying to do the same thing I was, but from the opposite side of the coin."

"You know who it is." It wasn't a question.

Urahara nodded sadly, "Of the captains who were at the meeting regarding the Breakdown Sphere, only Aizen has the brain and ambition to be able to pull this off."

Turning this over in his mind, the _taichou_ sat silent for a moment. "What now?"

The shopkeeper answered, "You get to become the most important person in the universe, Isshin. Once the process of becoming human is completed, you hide in plain sight, as a normal, living man."

Rubbing a hand over his beard as he agonized over the decision, Isshin agreed, becoming an active participant in the plan to save the universe; playing God with everyone's lives and souls in the hopes of saving them all.


End file.
